Frequently Asked Questions - F.A.Q

Are you new to Matcha? Or you just want to learn more about the amazingness of Green Tea Matcha?

Welcome to Kenko Tea's F.A.Q Page!

Here you will find lots of answers for many common questions about Kenko Tea, our shipping and purchase policy, and Matcha Green Tea Powder.The page is frequently updating as new questions will come up for us. If you have questions that are not answered here, feel free to chat or email us!

We are happy to receive your questions :)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where are you located?

We are based out of Melbourne, Australia, however sell only through our website. Kenko Matcha Tea is an Australian owned and operated business.

Where can I buy Kenko Matcha tea?

Besides this website, we have a small number of stockists

If you would like to see Kenko Matcha at your local store, please email hello@kenkomatcha.comand let me know.

Can I pick up my order in person?

Sadly no, all orders are sent through the post. We are currently looking for stockists though.

What is the difference between Kenko Matcha & other Brands?

The main difference between us and other brands are:

Freshness - we only order in small batches, meaning all of Kenko's matcha was only ground to order within the last month. You are getting a much fresher product than available in shops, and fresher matcha means no bitterness, vibrant green colour and fresh grassy 'green tea' smell. Our matcha is also packed at the source, in airtight containers to ensure a fresher product.

Highest Grades Available - during production, matcha leaves are sorted according to their qualities. The younger, more delicate and sweetest leaves are kept exclusively for the high grades of matcha. Not only this, alot of what is sold as 'matcha' is in fact, not real matcha. Matcha has a few unique characteristics:

Shade growing

Hand picking

Graded and sorted according to its quality

De-stemming and de-veining

Stone ground on granite mills.

Alot of bulk produced green tea powder skips these steps. Meaning it is not a true 'matcha'. That's why store bought matcha is often dull in colour and bitter to taste.

We sell only Matcha -At Kenko, high grade matcha is our only focus, it's what we are passionate about, and what we promise to deliver. Compared to other companies that sell many types of tea, we can concentrate on doing one thing well - sourcing the finest quality matcha and bringing it to Australia and the States.

What does matcha mean?

Matcha means ground tea, where ma means ground, and cha means tea.

What are the grades of matcha you sell?

When producing matcha, upon harvesting the leaves are graded according to their taste, flavor and aroma properties. With a premium grade of matcha, only the youngest, greenest and most delicate leaves are used. This enhances the natural sweetness of the tea, leaves no traces of bitterness, and results in a more vibrant green color of matcha.

Additionally, with the higher grades, more care is taken to remove all traces of stems and veins from the tea leaves. This produces a softer, lighter tea powder that gives more froth when whisked and again more natural sweetness compared to the cooking grades.

Thirdly, with higher grades of matcha, they are stone ground using only traditional granite grinding blocks, which produce only 1.07-1.43 oz. of matcha powder per hour. This is the way matcha has been produced for centuries, and is still done this way today to produce matcha powders unique structure.

What is ceremonial matcha?

Ceremonial matcha is one of the grades of matcha that is used in traditional tea ceremony in Japan. This matcha grade has delicate flavour and should be used plain with only hot water to get the taste.

At Kenko, our ceremonial grade matcha is called the Premium Grade. You can learn more about different matcha grades here.

What is the difference between matcha and sencha?

The major difference of these 2 types of tea is the way they are grown. Sencha is grown in full sun while matcha is grown in the shade in the end of cultivation.

The color and taste of them are also different. Sencha has dark green color and refreshing taste, while matcha has bright green color and creamy taste.

Where is it grown?

All our teas are sourced from the Nishio region of Japan. Nishio is renowned for it's matcha tea fields, and is the largest green tea producing region of Japan.

Is matcha organic?

There are not a lot places that offer a certified organic matcha. We as well were not able to offer it. There is a couple of reasons for this.

1) Organic matcha powders often don't have the vibrant green colour that a high grade non-organic matcha can have, and are often slightly duller in colour and not as sweet to taste.This is due to the fertilizers used while the tea leaves are shade grown.

As matcha doesn't get much energy from the sun, it is given extra fertilizer to produce the high levels of chlorophyll, that enhances the natural sweetness and gives matcha its incredible jade green colour. Certified organic fertilizers don't provide enough energy and nutrients that a non organic fertilizer can provide.

At Kenko our first priority is sourcing the best tasting, most vibrantly green matcha powder available on the market. Fortunately, we have found an organic matcha that met these standards.

2) Getting the matcha certified organic in Australia adds a level of cost on both ends, both in sourcing a high grade organic matcha in Japan, and getting it certified to Australian standards. We wanted to offer the highest grade of matcha available, while keeping our prices competitive.

Again, we are happy that we now have the certified organic matcha range that met the cost standard as well.

Why is matcha expensive compared to other teas?

Matcha by its very method of production is very time consuming, and therefore a more costly tea to produce than regular tea. The shading of the tea fields, the harvesting by hand, the grading of the tea leaves after harvesting, all take more labor cost. The stone grinding on hand carved granite blocks consumes time as well.

All these steps require more labor, time and therefore add more cost. It is also entirely produced in Japan, by sustainable tea growers who have been producing Matcha for over 100 years. So the labor costs are higher than tea from other countries such as China or Sri Lanka.

Additionally, 99% of the matcha produced in Japan is consumed in Japan. Very little is exported though that is starting to change. So by the laws of supply and demand it is costly to buy as well as ship to other countries.

Kenko's products are very competitively priced when compared to other international brands that offer equivalent grades of matcha tea. In fact when considering shipping costs to Australia, we offer better prices for equivalent grades of matcha from Japanese suppliers.

When you are consuming matcha green tea, you are also getting the equivalent of 10 cups of regular brewed green tea. So if you are drinking green tea mainly for the health benefits, it works out very reasonably priced.

Where do you ship?

We offer Free Shipping to USA and Australia

We are able to ship internationally however there will be a small shipping chrage added at checkout.

Is there caffeine in matcha?

Yes - matcha contains caffeine.

For half a teaspoon of matcha there is about 25-30 mg of caffeine. This is less than a regular coffee. However because of the large amounts of L-Theanine in matcha - a amino acid that boosts relaxation, the caffeine in matcha is delivered to your body over a long period.

So you will get raised energy levels for much longer than coffee, and without any 'crash' that you can get after drinking coffee. Many caffeine sensitive people report that they can handle matcha in small doses while they can't handle coffee.

Does matcha make you awake?

Since there is caffeine in matcha, it can make you awake like coffee. However this effect lasts longer from drinking matcha than from coffee. It is due to the synergy of caffeine and L-theanine that matcha possesses.

Does matcha contain L-theanine?

Matcha is packed with L-theanine, an amino acid, due to the process of shade growing matcha tea plants. L-theanine is well known for its relaxation effect!

Why is combination of caffeine and L-theanine good?

This synergy brings both the effect of mental alertness, energy boosting, focus enhancement from caffeine and the effect of relaxation from L-theanine, which helps prevent energy crash, jittery and anxiety from caffeine alone.

This helps the energy last for several hours and improve the cognitive performance. You can learn more about this awesome combo here!

What are health benefits of matcha?

There are many health benefits of matcha. Matcha has the rich content of antioxidants, EGCG and chlorophylls. Matcha also has calming effects due to its combination of caffeine and L-theanine. Matcha is also known for its benefit in weight management as it boosts metabolism and fat burning.

What is EGCG?

EGCG is an antioxidant that found abundantly in matcha green tea. It’s a molecule belonged in catechins group. It’s learned and well known for the health benefits that it has, such as anti inflammatory, anti carcinogenic, or anti microbial properties.

Can I use matcha while breastfeeding?

It's generally recommended to limit caffeine consumption while breastfeeding, so keep in mind matcha contains caffeine. If you can handle 1-2 glasses of coffee then you should be fine.

How should I store matcha?

The most important thing is to keep matcha airtight, away from direct sunlight, and in a cool dark and dry environment.

If you plan to keep your matcha for a longer period, the fridge or freezer will keep it fresher for longer. If you consume it regularly, then a cool cupboard would be fine also.

Can I use expired matcha powder?

Matcha has a short lifetime. After eight weeks of opening, its taste, freshness and color are not optimal anymore. If you have some expired matcha, use it in baking :)

Does matcha powder need to be refrigerated?

Matcha is very delicate to heat, air, humidity and smells, as its color and quality are degraded when exposed to those. Kenko Tea matcha is safe in its airtight tin can. We recommend to refrigerate once the can is opened, and use the matcha within a short period. You may store in the freezer to be kept for a longer time.

How do I prepare matcha?

However you like! Matcha traditionally has been prepared with a whisk and drank simply with water.

How much matcha should I consume?

There's no strict guidelines, however if you are sensitive to caffeine then you may need to limit your intake to 1-2 servings per day. As matcha raises energy levels for quite a long period (4-6 hours), keep that in mind if you have to sleep soon.

Is matcha raw?

Matcha is raw, since it is pure raw green tea leaves that are grinded into powder. Matcha is used a lot in many raw diet foods. You can also check out our raw matcha recipes here.

Will matcha help me lose weight?

Possibly. While no tea is a magic bullet. Matcha, and green tea have been shown to have metabolism boosting effects, shown to increase energy levels and can suppress appetite.

Used in part of a healthy diet and exercise program, then matcha green tea is a terrific addition to your weight loss efforts. You can find more details here as well!

Does matcha green tea boost metabolism?

With the high level of EGCG, a super antioxidant, matcha green tea helps boost metabolism up to 40%. It is the great beverage for weight loss.

Does matcha green tea burn fat?

The content of catechins, especially EGCG, in matcha increases fat burning up to 17%. It reduces the accumulation of body fat, especially abdominal fat. It also decreases level of cholesterol in blood, and prevents diabetes and heart diseases.

Does matcha help with working out?

Matcha green tea is the great workout supplement. It helps you focus and keep your energy level for the intensive session. It also utilizes fat as energy instead of using up stored carbs in your body, which can lead to fatigue during exercise!

Is matcha good for your heart?

Matcha is known to reduce blood cholesterol and many other heart diseases. Therefore drinking matcha is really good for your heart. You can find more matcha health benefits here!

Is matcha good for your skin?

It is extremely good to your skin. With the rich content of antioxidants, matcha green tea is used in skin care, like skin aging and acne development.

Can matcha be used on face?

Yes~ Some studies have shown that both topical and oral application of green tea can help skin care. You can also make your own matcha green tea homemade skin cares with easy steps.

Can matcha green tea cure acne?

With the anti-inflammatory, and the effect on fat production, matcha green tea’s catechins can reduce and inhibit the development of acne.